A SPEECH
PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT,NORTHERN YOUTH ASSEMBLY MALLAM IBRAHIM
WAIYA DURING A COURTESY CALL ON THE CHAIRMAN, KANO STATE JOINT TASK FORCE ON
ANTI – DRUG ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING ON WEDNESDAY, THE 12TH FEB. 2014
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| The National President Northern Youth Assembly while receiving gift from the Commandant NDLEA Kano, during a courtesy visit on Wednesday 12-2-2014 |
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| A group picture with the Commandant of the NDLEA, the National President of the NYA and members. |
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| A group picture with the Commandant of the NDLEA, the National President of the NYA and members. |
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| A group picture with the Commandant of the NDLEA, the National President of the NYA and members. |
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The Chairman,
Kano State Joint Task Force On Anti – Drug and Trafficking
(The Commandant NDLEA, Kano,
Other Officers of the NDLEA
The Officials of the Kano State Branch of the NYA,
Other Members,
The Press,
Good Morning all,
Today is indeed one of the important visits of the Northern Youth Assembly, so far, a day and a time when a powerful delegation of this great Assembly, is at the Kano office of the NDLEA, and the Chairman Kano State Joint Task Force on Anti – Drug and Trafficking, for the purpose of creating a working relationship, though not the first time, on the area of discouraging the ugly trend of drug abuse and trafficking in Kano state and beyond, for the purpose of safeguarding the psychological wellbeing of the teeming population of the Nigerian Youths, particularly in Kano state, the North and the country at large,
Let me briefly and formally introduce this Assembly to you, sir.
The Northern Youth Assembly (NYA) was established in 2008, with a defined objectives and goals like every other organization, and was born out of the desire for positive change in the society by likeminded Youths and other Patriotic individuals across the Nineteen Northern States and beyond, who also share a common concern for the meaningful development of a united Nigeria.
The Northern Youth Assembly came as a child of necessity, with a clear vision, which is the mission to spearhead the struggle of the Northern Youths, and the rest, through alliances and constructive engagement on political and social platforms, to tackle pressing social problems and enhance national integration.
The Northern Youth Assembly, has branches in the Nineteen Northern States
Some of the aims and objectives of the Northern Youth Assembly (NYA) include:
v To promote the teachings, ideas, principles and values of Good Leadership
v To create a common discussion circle among the entire Northern Youths, to promote understanding AND PEACEFUL SOCIAL CO EXISTENCE among different religious and ethnic nationalities; and
v To create an enabling environment for rehabilitating the Youths for maximum productivity to the society for self accomplishment
Some of the activities and programmes conducted by the Assembly include:
National Conferences, Seminars and Workshops in – Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Kaduna, Abuja, Sokoto and the rest
Sir, some recent reports released by this Agency, showed that the abuse of drugs has become rampant, particularly among the youths and women in Northern Nigeria. What this portends is that substance abuse is silently but steadily developing into a serious problem, especially among the Northern women and Youths.
Drug addiction of whatever type must not be allowed to fester in any society due to its destructive consequences on health, lifestyle and the future of the most precious asset of any society; its youth. Adolescents and youths of both sexes and between the ages of 15 – 30 years constitute the high risk group. Many of the victims of drug and substance abuse undergo through memory lapses, short attention span, difficulty in concentration and social dislocation. The three consecutive annual reports of this Agency, from 2010 – 2012 infamously rated Kano, Katsina States and some other states in the North, as the leading State on drug and substance abuse in the Country, and this particular one state, that is Kano directly under your jurisdiction, and this situation is not only unfortunate but alarming.
Sir, every responsive country in the world, would reasonably be expected to place a great priority on the future of its young ones, with the belief that, the same category of the people are the future leaders of such nations, communities or countries.
Unfortunately, the reality tends to portray a different perspective in Nigeria, where the future and the psychological wellbeing of the youths, is increasingly being threatened, by the myriad of social problems, the most alarming of which is the habit of substance and drug abuse among a significant percentage of the teeming population of young men and women, including our married women
It is for this reason that, the NYA has resolved to embark on a massive campaign against the ugly practice, as part of its contributory efforts to restore sanity in the region, through enlightenment, rehabilitative and preventive measures
Sir, some of the social vices which the youths engage in, include electoral violence and political thurgery, which are all resultant consequences of drug and substance abuse, facilitated by some unpatriotic and desperate politicians as well as some greedy people in the society, who are bent on making money through all means, legal or illegal
Cognizant of the magnitude of this problem and the laudable efforts of your Agency, and the committed efforts of the State Government to tackle this challenge at this most challenging time, when the political wind is about to be blown.
Sir, our visit today, is informed on the appreciation of your Agency’s efforts and the efforts of Your Joint Task Force committee to address this problem squarely and appropriately. We are fully aware of your tireless commitment to overturn the status of Kano State, on the statistics board of the drug addiction and trafficking in the country
Sir, as part of the strategy of the Northern Youth Assembly, to address this problem, seven states of the North West have been fully involved for participation in the project, where the Grand Launching on the programme has been planned to be flagged off in Kano State.
Sir, also as part of this effort, 7000, Anti Drug Abuse Volunteer Para – Counselors are to be inaugurated and trained, with 1000 young men and women from each of the seven states of the North West. It is therefore against this background, we wish to request for a more solidified partnership and sponsorship of the training of the one thousand Kano State Anti – Drug Abuse Para – Counsellors by the Task Force Committee
Sir, I also want to inform you that, the Northern Youth Assembly, is organizing a One Pre – Grand Launching/ Orientation Lecture for Stakeholders in Kano State on Anti – Drug Abuse Campaign in Northern Nigeria, and it is on this note that, We want to I inform you that, you have been nominated and scheduled as one of the Guest Speaker at the occasion, which is scheduled to come up, on the 1st of March, 2014
I want to finally, use this opportunity to recognize and appreciate the commitments and efforts of the Kano State Government once again, for its obvious concern to uproot the problem from the source
Thank you very much for the audience, and May God bless you all.
